Giovanni Gagliardi – a virtuoso and a visionary of the accordion

Abstract

Giovanni Gagliardi (1882–1964), an Italian composer and accordionist is now a forgotten artist. As early as in 1911, in Manualetto del fisarmonicista published in Paris, he postulated modifica- tions in the construction of the accordion, so as to improve the instrument's technical performance. The suggested modernisation of the accordion contributed to the development of the accordion repertoire, with new sound possibilities and new aesthetics. The life of the artist, who began his career as an itinerant player and reached the position of a virtuoso who was highly appreciated by Paris' bohemian artists, changed dramatically after the entry of Italy into World War I in 1915. His refusal to perform military service and after the end of the war also to perform public concerts, as well as 3.5 years of internment during World War II – show Gagliardi as a man engaged not only in musical matters, but also in public affairs. Until the end of his life, he played music in the comfort of his home, and in his correspondence with accordionists and in press interviews he promoted the instrument with a melodic manual. Giovanni Gagliardi was decades ahead of his time, but it was him that the history proved right.